Hi Julie!
Thanks for returning to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! We love to help guests with the details of their Walt Disney World vacations!
While the sky is the limit at Walt Disney World, you'll be happy to know that there are many budget-friendly options for enjoying your trip. Since you have already arranged for your theme park tickets, your dining plan, and resort, you'll really be able to keep your additional spending to special snacks, meals, or souvenirs.
Personally, I like to budget a little extra each day to cover a few extra beverages and snacks each day per person. I try to keep this within about $20 each, and if we do not spend it, it's like found money. Don't forget that you can keep snacks or breakfast items in your room to save a few dollars each day! You'll also want to plan on including a small amount of money in your budget for tips - for housekeeping services, bell services, or other services.
I'm not sure if your plans include the
Quick Service Dining Plan or the standard
Disney Dining Plan. If your plan does not include any table service meals, you may want to consider adding a character meal to your plans. This is a great opportunity for the kids to meet their favorite characters while enjoying a great meal. One of our favorites is at the
Tusker House Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom. There you can enjoy a delicious buffet meal with Safari Donald and friends. It is a fun experience for all! The best way to budget for this is to browse the menus and prices online. This way you'll have a solid idea of costs before you even leave home.
Since you are traveling with young kids, I have two great ideas to help you manage their souvenir spending. Our favorite way to reign in our kids' spending during Walt Disney World trips is to pre-purchase
Disney Gift Cards. We set a limit per child and then leave the budgeting to them. Sometimes they'll decide to purchase something memorable like a sweatshirt or toy and other times they may choose to spend it all on candy and snacks. It's totally up to them, which they love! Another option is to set a spending limit on their
MagicBand. Each band can have a separate charging limit. This means they'll be allowed to make purchases with their Magic Band which will then be charged to the credit card you have placed on file with your Walt Disney World resort. If you'd like to set these charging privileges for your children, simply visit the Front Desk of your resort and speak with a Cast Member.
Last, but not least, don't forget to download the
My Disney Experience mobile app before you head off on vacation. With the app, you'll be able to see your available dining credits as well as your room charges. This makes it super easy to keep tabs on your spending.
I hope this helps! Be sure to let us know if we can help with any additional details!
Kathie